This Week's Codes and Standards, January 15

Engage Code Officials Early for Better Building Performance, Predictable Enforcement Expectations

Local building code officials should be involved early in a project to produce better building performance, according to a new white paper by the National Institute of Building Sciences National Council on Building Codes and Standards (NCBCS). Engaging Code Officials Early in the Process to Achieve High-Performance Buildings makes the case for code officials to act more as collaborators and facilitators on projects. This will result in the building team being able to better tap into the expertise of codes officials.
 
“Many communities are adopting customer-service focused models to engage with their citizens,” the white paper says. “The code department can and should serve as a shining example of a customer-centered municipal function, while maintaining its important mission of assuring community safety.”
 
“Involving code officials, such as building, fire, mechanical and plumbing officials early in the project provides the project team with comprehensive client services while helping to deliver predictable enforcement expectations. This initial engagement creates a link between stakeholders, economic development and health, safety, and welfare by involving the relevant authorities.”
 
The white paper offers suggestions for implementing a more collaborative approach and addresses potential challenges. It includes a draft meeting agenda for jurisdictions to reference when setting up initiation meetings with teams when beginning new projects.

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U.S. Construction Fatalities Rose 6% in 2016

Fatal work injuries in the U.S. rose 7% to a preliminary total of 5,190 in 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of the total private industry fatalities in 2016, 22.2% were construction fatalities. Deadly injuries among construction trades workers increased 6%, or a total of 991 fatalities, in 2016.
 
The fatal injury rate for roofing workers increased from 39.7% to 48.6%. In 2016, four categories of accidents—falls, being struck by objects, electrocutions, and getting caught in or between objects—were responsible for 63.7% of all construction worker deaths.
 
Falls accounted for 38.7%; struck by an object accounted for 9.4%; electrocutions accounted for 8.3%; and caught in or between objects accounted for 7.3%.

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In Houston, FEMA Wants Flooded Homes to be Lifted One Foot Above 100-Year Flood Level

After Hurricane Harvey, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been trying to get homes that were flooded to be lifted one foot above the 100-year base elevation flood level. The flood elevation maps in effect have an effective date of June 19, 2008.
 
Structures located within a mapped Special Flood Hazard Area that sustained “Substantial Damage” must abide by the rule. Homeowners must either raise the elevation to the prescribed level or pay the money back that they received from FEMA.

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Global Warming Will Increase Risk of River Flooding

Global warming will increase the risk of river flooding in the next several decades, according to researchers in Germany. After examining the impact of changing rainfall patterns by region, researchers found that flood defenses will need to be improved particularly in the United States, parts of India and Africa, Indonesia, and Central Europe.
 
In North America the number of people at risk could increase tenfold, from 100,000 to a million. Even in developed countries with good infrastructure the need for adaptation will be big, researchers said. They also warned that the risk of rivers flooding will rise regardless of current efforts to curb climate change because of greenhouse gases already emitted in past decades.

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Some Builders Market Standard Features as Green

A Washington Post report covers the phenomenon of “greenwashing” in the housing industry. This practice takes many forms including when builders tout standard features as special green traits.
 
These “green” features may include insulation R-values that met, but did not exceed, minimum local building code requirements; code-minimum HVAC systems; digital thermostats, which are commonplace; and Energy Star appliances. Real estate experts say the practice of overstating a property’s sustainability is becoming a common problem.

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